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نیدرلینڈز | بیلجیم | Curaçao | تھائی لینڈ | نائیجیریا | جرمنی | سپین | میکسیکو | کولمبیا | وینزویلا | ارجنٹائن | یوراگوئے | چلی | ایکواڈور | پورٹو ریکو | پیرو | کیوبا | بولیویا | کوسٹا ریکا | ڈومینیکن ریپبلک | ال سلواڈور | گوئٹے مالا | ہونڈوراس | نکاراگوا | پیراگوئے | پانامہ | فرانس | آئیوری کوسٹ | موناکو | کیمرون | جمہوریہ کانگو | گبون | سینیگال | بینن | مصر | متحدہ عرب امارات | قطر | سعودی عرب | مراکش | عراق | تیونس | سوڈان | یمن | بحرین | ایران | برازیل | پرتگال | آئس لینڈ | ناروے | چین | تائیوان | ہانگ کانگ | مکاؤ | اسرا ییل | نیپال | جمہوریہ چیک | پولینڈ | اٹلی | بنگلہ دیش | ویتنام | ترکی | ملائیشیا | برونائی | جنوبی کوریا | شمالی کوریا | انڈونیشیا | جاپان | انڈیا | روس | فلپائن | یوکرین | سوئٹزرلینڈ | فن لینڈ | لکسمبرگ | آئرلینڈ | ایسٹونیا | رومانیہ | بلغاریہ | ریاستہائے متحدہ | کینیا | قبرص | یونان | لیختنسٹین | یوگنڈا | سویڈن | عظیم برطانیہ | نائجر | پاکستان | منگولیا | فلسطین | آرمینیا | آسٹریا | آسٹریلیا | کینیڈا | ڈنمارک | الجزائر | گھانا | کروشیا | ہنگری | کمبوڈیا | سری لنکا | لتھوانیا | لٹویا | مالٹا | نیوزی لینڈ | سیشلز | سنگاپور | سلوواکیہ | جنوبی افریقہ | اندورا | زیمبیا | ماریشس | تنزانیہ | برٹش ورجن آئی لینڈز | جانے کے لئے | آذربائیجان | مالڈووا | سلووینیا | بیلیز | قازقستان | کرغزستان | سربیا | ازبکستان | بیلاروس | گنی | جارجیا | بوسنیا اور ہرزیگوینا | اردن | کویت | کوسوو | البانیہ | موزمبیق | افغانستان | تاجکستان | مونٹی نیگرو | لیبیا | کانگو کنشاسا | لبنان | زمبابوے | شام | مالی | بھوٹان | استوائی گنی | روانڈا | ملاوی | میانمار | بوٹسوانا | شمالی مقدونیہ | برونڈی | جمیکا | ایتھوپیا | نیو کیلیڈونیا | سیرا لیون | نمیبیا | لاؤس | تیمور-لیستے | مالدیپ | ہیٹی | برکینا فاسو | عمان | بہاماز | صومالیہ | بارباڈوس | گریناڈا | پاپوا نیو گنی | جرسی | فجی | سان مارینو | فرانسیسی پولینیشیا | ٹرینیڈاڈ اور ٹوباگو | سورینام | لیسوتھو | اریٹیریا | سینٹ لوسیا | جزائر کیمن | انگولا | گیمبیا | سوازی لینڈ | مڈغاسکر | لائبیریا | موریطانیہ | گیانا | وانواتو | چاڈ | ٹونگا | برمودا | ترکمانستان | ساموا | جبوتی | کوموروس | ویٹیکن سٹی | پلاؤ | ڈومینیکا | کیپ وردے | مرکزی افریقی جمہوریت | جزائر سلیمان | تووالو | سینٹ مارٹن |
Budget pegged at K10.978 trillion
PURSE KEEPER—Mwanamvekha arrives at Parliament to present the budgetBy Kingsley Jassi:A few minutes after 2 pm Friday, inside the chamber of Parliament in Lilongwe, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Joseph Mwanamvekha, rose to deliver what was essentially less a speech than a national appeal.Before him lay a stark proposition: that 21 million Malawians, many of them impoverished and weary from successive economic shocks, entrust him with K10.978 trillion of public resources to steer the country through the fiscal year stretching from April 1, 2026 to March 30, 2027.Across the nation, a hush must have settled in – at least among those who care about what a budget statement means to their lives.For such kind, in homes, trading centres and offices, they must have kept their eyes fixed on television screens and their ears tuned to radios.In his presentation, Mwanamvekha spoke with deliberate measure, almost methodically, presenting a budget crafted in the ghostly shadows of what he acknowledged to be tough economic times.On analysis, at its core, the fiscal plan rests on cautious optimism.Mwanamvekha said he expects the plan to deliver a 4.1 percent GDP growth rate, a modest but symbolically important signal of forward motion in an economy that has struggled to find firm footing for years.It is the arithmetic, however, that tells a more sobering story.With a 44.8 percent increase in revenue and grants, total financial resources are estimated at K8.12 trillion. Yet expenditure pressures push the deficit to K2.9 trillion, which is equivalent to 9 percent of the GDP.This is an improvement from the 11.9 percent deficit recorded in the 2025-26 budget, which suggests an attempt, however incremental, to rein in on domestic borrowing.Inflation is projected to close the year at 15 percent. The minister expects the policy rate to decline to 18 percent, easing the cost of borrowing and, in theory, stimulating productive activity.It is a delicate balancing act built on the following thinking: contain inflation without choking growth, tighten fiscal discipline without stifling recovery.He announced that domestic revenue is projected at K6.454 trillion, which is 20.5 percent of GDP. This represents an increase of 44.1 percent from the 2025-26 Mid- Year revised figure of K4.478 trillion.Expenditure patterns reveal the government’s priorities and constraints at the same time.Of the total outlay, K7.581 trillion is allocated to recurrent expenses and K3.397 trillion to development expenditure, representing 69.1 percent and 30.9 percent respectively. This is what it means in lay terms: nearly K7 out of every K10 will go toward keeping the machinery of the state running, leaving less than a third for transformative investment.Among the notable projects are several roads, houses for security officers, and the long awaited Mombera University.The reformed Constituency Development Fund (CDF) will be implemented at K5 billion per constituency, which is a nod to decentralization and grassroots impact, though its effectiveness will ultimately hinge on governance, a factor that has proven to be Malawi’s Achilles heel for as long as democracy has existed in this country.Then, the structural pressures are evident in the line items.Goods and services will consume K1.5 trillion.Subvented organisations will receive K867 billion.Salaries and wages account for K1.9 trillion.And most hauntingly, interest payments are estimated at K2.793 trillion, which is roughly 23 percent of the budget. That’s the story of heavy burden of debt servicing. It means nearly a quarter of public resources will go not to new schools, roads, or hospitals, but to settling past obligations.In what is a strategic pivot, K1.334 trillion, or 12.2 percent of the total budget, has been set aside for priority sectors grouped under Agriculture, Tourism, Mining and Manufacturing (ATMM), a strategic direction of the previous regime.Here, with funds earmarked for industrial parks, tourism initiatives, irrigation schemes and mining projects, this allocation signals an ambition toward industrialization.CAMARADERIE—Mwanamvekha and Leader of Opposition Simplex Chithyola share a light momentIt’s a clear expression of state-led industrialization attempts, a desire to shift Malawi from consumption to production, from importing to exporting.Yet, sectoral allocations reveal traditional priorities holding firm.Education leads with K1.23 trillion, health gets K1 trillion. Agriculture receives K931 billion, transport and infrastructure K664.4 billion, energy and mining K352 billion, and tourism and manufacturing K51.2 billion.The hierarchy reflects both developmental necessity and political reality: human capital and food security remain foundational concerns.On the revenue side, the government has introduced targeted tax measures. These include import duty on luxury goods and products that are locally produced, higher carbon tax on foreign registered vehicles, and import duty on some hybrid vehicles.At the same time, Mwanamvekha has eased capital gains tax by introducing a 2 percent withholding tax on gross profit.A 15 percent withholding tax on rental fees for residential houses aims to ease administrative complexities, while gains from bets will attract a 10 percent withholding tax.The budget is framed under the theme: “Driving economic recovery and sustainable growth through impactful reforms and fiscal consolidation.”Such a mouthful theme as if to reflect the ambitious formulation, a suggestion of both urgency and restraint, a point where reform is paired with consolidation, growth tempered by discipline.Whether the numbers will bend to the rhetoric, that is the question.But what is clear is that the government is attempting to navigate a narrow, somewhat slippery path: restore macroeconomic stability, stimulate growth, and manage mounting fiscal pressures – all while asking a fragile nation for patience and trust.Such a tough call.
2026-02-28 09:10:06

Economists groups laud budget on borrowing restraint, growth
The Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Malawi (Icam), and the Bankers Association of Malawi (Bam) yesterday gave positive ratings to the K10.987 trillion national budget delivered by Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha.Among other highlights, Mwanamvekha said real GDP growth is projected at 3.8 percent in 2026 and is expected to further strengthen to 4.9 percent in 2027.“This growth will be supported by strategic investments in key productive sectors of Agriculture, Tourism, Mining, Manufacturing, and Small and Medium Enterprises. Special focus will be put on increased production and value addition, export diversification and import substitution,” he said.Mwanamvekha said the budget is premised on macroeconomic assumptions that include end-period inflation estimated at 15 percent, nominal GDP of K31.5 trillion and a policy rate of 18 percent.In her immediate reaction to the budget statement, Ecama President Bertha Bangala Chikadza said the budget offers hope.Among other observations, Chikadza said the minister has demonstrated the government’s commitment to reducing inflation and interest rates, while also growing the economy.Madinga On his part, Bam president Phillip Madinga said he is impressed with the government’s intention to reduce inflation to around 15 percent and interest rates to approximately 18 percent.Madinga said this, coupled with a slowdown in government borrowing, could help make affordable financing available to productive sectors of the economy.Icam president Daniel Jere said the budget contains several positive elements.He noted that it is encouraging that over 30 percent of the budget has been allocated to development expenditure.Jere also hailed the K5 billion Constituency Development Fund, saying it will help spur development in rural areas.However, he was quick to call for strong governance structures to ensure the funds are not abused.On taxation, Jere said Icam is not fully satisfied, as most of the recommendations they submitted during the pre-budget consultations were not incorporated.“But we understand because as things stand at the moment, government needs money to meet its budgetary needs.He commended the government for removing capital gains tax on shares for companies listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange. The tax has been replaced with a 2 percent final withholding tax.He expressed hope that authorities will continue engaging Icam on ways to improve the tax environment going forward.He commended the government for removing capital gains tax on shares for companies listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange. The tax has been replaced with a 2 percent final withholding tax.He expressed hope that authorities will continue engaging Icam on ways to improve the tax environment going forward.
2026-02-28 09:04:51

Clubs differ on football calendar kick off
The 2026 football season kick off date has drawn mixed reactions from the football fraternity as some players might suffer from burnout due to inadequate rest.This comes after the Football Association of Malawi (Fam) Friday announced that the 2026 football season will kick off on April 18 with a charity shield match between Super League Champions Mighty Wanderers and Castel Challenge Cup champions FCB Nyasa Big Bullets at a venue yet to be announced.Fam also announced that the FDH Bank Premiership, formerly known as TNM Super League, would kick off on April 25, 2026 and conclude on March 21, 2027.The announcement came a day before the conclusion of the 2025 football season.This means Bullets and Goshen City Dynamos that reached the Castel Challenge Cup final will have an off-season of less than a month.In an interview yesterday, Mighty Wanderers Chief Executive Officer Panganeni Ndovi said players will not have ample time to rest.“The teams have played football for one year and the players did not have enough time. We need to consider the health of the players,” Ndovi said.Wanderers are three weeks into the off-season having reached the Castel Challenge Cup quarterfinals in which they were knocked out by Mzuzu City Hammers.On his part, Bullets Chief Executive Officer Albert Chigoga asked for more time to comment on the matter.“Allow us to reflect on this decision before reacting to it. The decision has technical significance,” Chigoga said.Bullets and Dedza have just started their off-season having met in the Castel Challenge Cup final last week.Dedza Dynamos General Secretary Kondwani Wiseman Banda said players needed ample time to recharge.“It is not good for the players. We need to give them enough time to rest,” he said.Karonga United General Secretary Ramsey Simwaka said they were happy with the kick off date of the new season.“We need to change slowly. We cannot afford to keep the players in the off-season for four months. We will start planning for the kick off of the season,” he said.In a statement yesterday, Fam said other competitions will kick off in accordance with the football calendar. Fam is yet to release the full football calendar.Last season, the football season started on March 31 with a charity shield between eventual winners Silver Strikers and Wanderers at Bingu National Stadium.Then, the league kicked off on April 5 2025 before the start of the Airtel Top 8 on April 12 2025
2026-02-28 08:59:43

Mzimba’s gold rush creates buzzing commercial hub while stampeding on farmland, environment
CLAY WATERS—Lupachi River which the mining site is locatedBy Joel Phiri: At Kamchocho Village in Traditional Authority Mabilabo in Mzimba District, the once fertile landscape along the Lupachi River has been transformed into a chaotic gold rush site.Deep pits scar the earth, trees lie felled in all directions, and makeshift shelters stretch as far as the eye can see – about 2-and-half-kilometre stretch of land is under siege from illegal gold diggers.Standing with his arms akimbo, Mzimba’s Principal Environmental Officer, James Pelani, surveys the damage with visible concern.“Gold brings wealth, but its side effects include environmental degradation, as we see here,” Pelani says, shaking his head while watching scores of both energetic men an d women digging for gold deposits in the muddy waters.More than 4,000 people are estimated to have descended on Kanchocho village that sits along Lupachi River since gold was discovered in January this year.By mid-February when we visited the site, the area resembled a refugee settlement.Temporary grass-thatched structures and plastic-covered shacks serve as homes, toilets, restaurants, and beer halls. The quiet riverside community has turned into a bustling, unregulated mining settlement almost overnight.The lure is powerful. A single gram of gold is fetching up to K500,000, a fortune in a district where many struggle to make ends meet.“It’s a lucrative business,” says Thomson Banda, who has emerged as one of the vocal miners at the site and spokesperson for the gold diggers.SEEING IS BELIEVING—Police and other authorities watch the mining activity“We are poor Malawians trying to earn a living through this business. We have people here from all over Malawi here.”Indeed, miners have flocked to Kamchocho from various districts, driven by unemployment and poverty. Young men dig tirelessly with picks and shovels, while others sieve soil in the river in search of glittering specks. Some entrepreneurs have hired teams of labourers, paying them about K20,000 per day per person to dig on their behalf.Life at the gold site, however, is far from easy. The cost of living has skyrocketed.“Life is expensive here because everyone is making money,” says one miner. “If you buy nsima at K5,000 at Jenda Trading Centre or at Mzimba Boma, here it is K10,000 per dish,” says Nixon Black from Blantyre but has come here to dig gold.Traders from Jenda Trading Centre and surrounding areas have seized the opportunity, setting up grocery stands, restaurants, and bars. Business is booming. Every day, sacks of maize flour, soft drinks, beer, and other essentials are ferried into the settlement to meet soaring demand.Yet beneath the buzz of commerce lies a troubling reality: the mining activities are illegal.Joseph Chirwa, Regional Mining Engineer for the north in the Department of Mines, is unequivocal.“Nobody has been licensed to mine gold here,” he says. “All the people digging at this site are illegal miners,” says Chirwa.“We need to formalize this. Let these people obtain licences. There are licenses for Small Scale Miners,” says Chirwa.Without licences, there is no regulation, no environmental safeguards, and no structured oversight.Miners dig randomly, leaving behind dangerous open pits. Along the Lupachi River, soil is being heavily disturbed as prospectors search for deposits, increasing the risk of siltation and water pollution.Pelani says the environmental consequences could be long-lasting.“Land is being degraded. Trees are being cut down indiscriminately. Gold mining along the river is leading to serious environmental damage. This worries us as a council,” he explains.The destruction is visible. What was once arable land suitable for agriculture is now dotted with craters and mounds of displaced soil. Farmers who relied on the land for maize and other crops face uncertainty about whether it can ever be restored.SITE SEEING—Mitai arriving at the mining sitePolice have also taken note of the unfolding situation. Commissioner of Police for the Northern Region, Glinton Mitai, acknowledges the scale of the problem.“Land degradation here is acute,” says Mitai. “That is why we came here to establish the truth and assess the situation.”Authorities now face a delicate balancing act. On one hand, thousands of people are earning an income in a struggling economy. On the other, the environmental cost is mounting, and the operations are illegal.There are also concerns about safety and social order. With thousands of people living in cramped, makeshift shelters without proper sanitation, the risk of disease outbreaks looms large. The absence of regulation has created fertile ground for exploitation, disputes over mining spots, and potential criminal activity.Reports indicate that buyers from various parts of the country—and even beyond Malawi’s borders— some from Ruanda, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique are said to be frequenting the site to purchase gold. Some Malawians have carved out a niche as middlemen, buying gold from miners and reselling it at a profit. The flow of cash is constant, but so is the erosion of the land.For now, the gold rush continues unabated. The sound of shovels striking the earth echoes from dawn to dusk. Each miner hopes to strike it rich, even as the landscape bears the brunt of their ambition.As Pelani takes one last look at the scarred terrain, his concern is evident. The promise of quick wealth has drawn thousands to Kamchocho, but the environmental price may outlast the glitter of gold.Whether authorities will regularize the operations, shut them down, or find a middle ground remains to be seen.What is clear is that along the banks of the Lupachi River, the scramble for gold has already rewritten the story of Kamchocho Village— turning farmland into a frontier of fortune and environmental uncertainty.— Mana
2026-02-28 08:49:51

Why our economy suffers
There have been several troubling revelations showing how badly our economy has been hit over the past few years.The mega farms debacle, together with National Economic Empowerment Fund (Neef) loans ending up in the wrong hands, paints a worrying picture of mismanagement and misuse of public resources.It is therefore not surprising that the parallel forex market has continued to record high exchange rates, an issue I will explain shortly.Funds meant to support food security and empower ordinary Malawians instead flowed into the hands of a few, often politically connected individuals.Money that should have promoted productivity and growth was treated as easy cash and spent with little thought for the long-term impact.Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha now faces the difficult task of restoring economic stability and rebuilding public trust.By ordering audits of the mega farms programme and Neef loans, he has taken steps to address weaknesses in the system and recover misused public funds.Early signs show that corrective measures are under way, but the challenge remains large.The mega farms initiative was presented as a way to improve food security and promote commercial agriculture.In reality, it was taken over by political loyalists and elites, many of whom lacked the knowledge or experience needed for large-scale farming.Loans meant for productive agricultural projects were given to individuals who were not prepared to manage them properly.The outcome was predictable. Funds were spent on personal consumption and luxury items instead of productive investment.Only a small number of beneficiaries have repaid part of their loans. Most remain in default, leaving billions of kwacha unaccounted for.This misuse of public resources has wider consequences. Large sums of money were released into the economy without a matching increase in production.Money circulated without enough goods and services being produced.Such excess liquidity fuels inflation. One clear result has been the parallel forex market. Individuals with surplus funds, free from normal commercial discipline, have been able to buy forex aggressively.This has pushed up exchange rates and encouraged speculation. Money meant to grow crops instead supported financial manoeuvring, adding to the high cost of forex that ordinary citizens pay through rising prices.There are other reasons for high forex rates on the parallel market, but it is clear that excess liquidity has played a role.When public funds are given out on the basis of political loyalty rather than ability, development programmes lose their purpose.Poorly managed credit leads to wider economic problems, including price instability.The mega farms and Neef crises show how political capture, weak oversight and careless lending can destabilise key parts of the economy.Mwanamvekha’s audits and more careful fiscal approach are therefore important, not only for recovering unpaid loans but also for restoring confidence in public financial management.Enforcing repayment, strengthening oversight and holding those responsible to account are necessary steps towards stability.These episodes should serve as lessons. They show how political influence and weak governance can damage even well-meaning programmes.Money placed in unproductive hands does not create growth. Instead, it distorts markets and weakens confidence in institutions.Malawi’s path forward requires discipline and a strong commitment to ensuring that public resources are used productively.Equally important is the government’s decision to limit borrowing from local commercial banks.For many years, heavy domestic borrowing crowded out the private sector because banks preferred lending to government instead of businesses and individuals.Now, with fewer Treasury instruments taking up bank funds, financial institutions must lend more to the private sector and households.This change is positive for the economy. When banks lend to entrepreneurs, farmers, manufacturers and small businesses, the money supports real economic activity.It helps create jobs, increase production and expand the tax base. Private-sector lending encourages innovation and competition, unlike excessive government borrowing which often pays for routine expenses.Limiting domestic borrowing also promotes fiscal discipline. It reduces the risk of building up unsustainable debt and helps control inflation.By stepping back from heavy borrowing, government allows banks to support productive sectors of the economy while keeping public finances under control.
2026-02-28 08:44:07

Attaching NRB services to Immigration Department could curb passport fraud
For the past few years, cases of passport fraud have been rampant in Malawi. A number of foreign nationals have been intercepted at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services trying to acquire the Malawi passport fraudulently.The Malawi passport— ranked 8th on the list of most influential and powerful passports in Africa by London-based global immigration consultancy firm Henley & Partners firm—is much sought after by foreign nationals because it offers relatively strong travel freedom compared to other African nations, providing visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 70 countries, including in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.With this in mind, the increasing cases of passport fraud should be a source of concern to the country. Passport fraud erodes national security by facilitating serious transnational crimes such as human and drug trafficking, human smuggling and financial crimes such as bank fraud and identity theft.Additionally, a country known for having insecure or easily forged passports suffers reputation damage, leading to a loss of international trust and potential difficulties in securing international cooperation and support.In Malawi, a passport is issued by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services (DICS) with the National Registration Bureau (NRB) providing evidence of Malawi citizenship through national identity cards. However, the relationship between the two institutions, where one is a civilian institution and the other a security institution, is what has created a security loophole through which fraudsters are using to get the Malawi passport. These fraudsters know that once they manage to get the national identity card, then chances are high that they can easily get the Malawi passport as well.Just recently, a Burundi national was convicted by the Lilongwe Magistrate Court for furnishing false information to the National Registration Bureau, contrary to Section 43(a) of the NRB Act, and making a false declaration for a passport, contrary to Section 327 of the Penal Code. In 2019, a Nigeria national was reportedly intercepted at Berlin International Airport in Germany as he tried to enter that country using a Malawi passport. All this is an indication that it has been easy for fraudsters to acquire the Malawi passport due to a weak screening system at NRB.NRB was created in 2017 to, among other things, provide national identity cards to bonafide Malawians as evidence of their citizenship. The bureau proves Malawi citizenship through documentation, witness testimony, parental identification, biometric capture and traditional leaders. However, the bureau arguably lacks the necessary skill to detect false information because documents can be doctored, parents and witnesses can be created and traditional leaders can easily be corrupted to provide false information to help someone get the national identity card. That is why the majority of foreigners who acquired the Malawi national identity card fraudulently have ended up being intercepted at Immigration as they tried to apply for the Malawi passport.This is not to say the creation of NRB was a bad decision altogether but measures could have been made to ensure that its officers are well trained to prevent fraudsters from accessing the national identity card. That is why placing the issuance of national identity cards into the hands of a security institution such as the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services could have made much more sense because the department already offers citizenship services to foreigners wishing to acquire Malawi citizenship and Malawians wishing to renounce their citizenship for a different nationality.What the government ought to have done was simply amend the Citizenship Act to give the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services the mandate to issue national identity cards as well, instead of creating a new body, to ensure that the issuance of both the national identity cards and passports is done by one security institution, as is the case with other African countries such as Zambia, Namibia, South Sudan and Gambia, just to mention but a few.Already, the department has district immigration offices and plans to open more offices, alongside the Mlambe One-Stop Centre, where such services could be provided from.In conclusion, a secure passport application process is key to preventing identity theft, fraudulent travel and document forgery by ensuring that personal, biometric data are accurately verified and protected. All this cannot happen if the national identity card acquisition process is too vulnerable to fraudsters.
2026-02-11 11:19:28

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